1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fields of credit and debit cards and computer storage mediums.
2. Relevant Technology
Magnetic strip cards are well known and in wide use for transactions relating to credit and debit accounts. A magnetic strip card is embodied as a plastic card having a magnetic strip comprising a magnetically sensitive material. The magnetic strip is oriented through conventional magnetic technology to store a user""s account number corresponding to a user""s credit or debit account. During read operations, the magnetic strip card is xe2x80x9cswipedxe2x80x9d through a reader having a magnetic head that senses the magnetic polarities encoded on the magnetic strip to thereby derive the account number. A merchant may then debit or credit the appropriate account based on the account number. The simple and efficient operation of the magnetic strip cards have made them extremely popular and an integrated part of modern day commerce.
Another popular computer readable storage medium is the optical disk which can store large volumes of high density information. The optical disk operates by storing information on a disk in the form of lands and pits. Data stored on the optical disk is typically configured in a single track that spirals from the center of the disk to the disk""s circumference. An optical disk drive generates a tightly focused laser beam to strike the lands and pits on the surface of the disk. Light that strikes a pit is scattered and light that strikes a land is reflected directly back at a detector. By reading the lands and pits, the detector generates electrical voltages which are matched against a timing circuit to generate a binary stream. The binary stream is in turn read by a computer. The optical disk may be embodied in various forms including erasable optical disks, WORMS (write once, read many), and DVD.
A convenient aspect of the magnetic strip card and the optical disk is that both are portable hand-held computer readable mediums that may be carried to electronic read devices at various locations. Read devices are only able to read corresponding optical disks or magnetic strip cards for which they are specifically designed. It is common practice to carry magnetic strip cards for everyday commerce and personal identification. Thus, consumers are well accustomed to their use.
In the ever growing world of electronic commerce there are advanced advertising, marketing, and transaction applications which sponsors may wish to incorporate into a transaction card. Such applications require large storage capacities and would clearly exceed the storage of a magnetic strip card. Optical disks are optimal at providing high capacity storage for multimedia data and other high end applications. Optical disks may further be shaped and sized to allow them to be carried in a purse or wallet. Thus, it would be an advancement in the art of commerce and personal identification to have a computer readable transaction card combining the features of the magnetic strip card with the comparable extensive memory capability of an optical disk. Such a device is disclosed and claimed herein.
The interactive transaction card of the present invention comprises an optical disk which is readable by a computer""s CD ROM drive. The transaction card further has a magnetic strip disposed on a surface of the optical disk. The magnetic strip has an identification code, such as an account number, which in today""s business transactions identifies a user""s credit or debit account. The proposed optical disk is configured to be insertable into a magnetic card reader. The magnetic card reader, as always, reads the magnetic polarities of the magnetic strip to derive the expected identification code as required to complete a transaction. To enable e-commerce via the computer, the identification code may also be stored on the optical disk to allow the CD ROM drive to read and transport code.
The optical disk may contain multimedia modules including various audio, still or motion pictures, graphics, and video files. Some of the modules are interactive to the user and some are interactive with a computer. This allows a user the convenience of having a conventional credit and debit card with the added benefits of multimedia presentations and interactivity. Thus, a user may receive promotional and instructional material on the interactive transaction card. The optical disk may further include a module programmed to provide an automatic Internet connection where commerce can be simplified through the availability of the identification module. A card""s Internet browser may be directed to display the web site of the transaction card issuer, associated merchant, or other advertiser. The user may then transact on this web site, other sites, or receive additional promotional or instructional information.
The interactive transaction card combines the advantages of two computer mediums to provide a card with (1) magnetic strip technology and (2) high capacity storage for additional commercial features. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.